My mother used to buy old towels at yard sales and make up terry towel pot holders for all of us girls. Mother is gone now but we still all treasure the extra special hot pads that seem to last forever and are easliy washed. Mother cut squares of terry and put 3 layers together and then machine quilted the squares. These are so much better than store bought ones.

I crochet granny squares and stitch them to squares of the same size cut from worn towels Stack them granny square, towel square, and a second granny square. You can stitch them together by hand, or machine stitch them by stitching around all for sides and then stitch them in a large X that runs diagonally from corner to corner.